I never knew....

hey everyone! It's really amazing reading through alot of these postings...I just never knew there was so many cat lovers out there, I am an animal finatic and I love my cat so much. So people would say I'm crazy for goin away for weekiend and missing Buttons to death or spending hours on end playing and cuddling with him...it's really nice to know that there is people out there who feel the same. So i do have a couple questions...Buttons isnt really long hair and i brush him as much as he lets me (once a week-he hates it) but he still sheds like crazy...is there any tips? Also he tends to get scabs sometimes on his back and belly and we have taken him to the vet and they dont really know...can anyone relate or give tips?Thanks guys.

It is great to be in a place where everyone thinks about their cats in about the same way. They are our babies, and we may be crazy cat people but that doesn't make us actually crazy! LOL Be sure to check out The Cat Lounge, that's where we just hang out and brag about our cats, as well as talk about everything under the sun.

I'm going to move this to Care & Grooming since both of your questions about Buttons are related to that.

How often does your kitty get a bath? Long haired cats require more "grooming" than short haired ones. They will get a build-up of dead skin cells and this can look like small scabs.
Not all cats like to be brushed. I use a wide toothed comb for my Persians. I try to work on at least one cat a day.

Hi bittykitty! I'm a crazy cat lover too

People think I'm insane because I have over 300 pictures of my cat and I've only had her for 3 months

I, too, love this site. I'm glad I found people that are cat fanatics just like me. I know what you mean about missing them when you are away. I miss Maddie and Tybalt even when I'm at work. Maddie runs to the front window and watches me drive away..It's so sad. I'm happy I can finally relate to people that are as crazy about thier cats like I am.

Heather

I get so sad when I have to go to work and leave Zoey. She usually runs and cuts me off at the door when she hears me pick up my keys Then she meows and plops down in front of the door so that I feel extra bad when I leave

thanks everyone for the replies! And Heidi thanks for moving my post it helps to have someone to teach me a couple things. Anyway its nice to know your all crazy about ur cats too...

Hi and welcome!

Cheers!

Welcome BittyKitty!

Got any pictures of your baby to show us?

*smiles* Sam.

I would sugest sitting down with her and feeding her treats slowly as your grooming her. She'll associate grooming with a plesent experence, and will want to do it more offten. The scabs could be from you using too much pressure when grooming, or from her not having enough baths (or too many baths). Aprox how long is her hair?

~ Salem

My cat Sam used to growl and hiss at me when I brushed him. I tried feeding him treats at grooming time as someone here suggested. I found out that Sam can growl and eat at the same time. He hates being brushed, hates it with a passion, but I hate finding cat vomit and hairballs even more so I brush him every single day. Especially now in hot weather. I have enough hair to build a whole new cat.

So you can "teach" your cat to tolerate being groomed. I got a zoom groom, which I think cleans out the most hair in the least time with the least effort, so our daily grooming battles are at least efficient.

what exactly is a Zoom-Groom? Is there a site for it?


~ Salem

Bump for Bitty!

This is a great place, isn't it?

Salem, a zoom groom is a rubber brush shaped like a cat - it's fabulous for shorthairs, and my cats all love it! When I get it out, they all crowd around, purring, waiting for a turn!

Bitty,
Hopefully the other hints will work for you. I would try them first. If that doesn't help, sometimes cats can have an allergic reaction to fleas, something in the environment, or even food, and they can react by getting little scabs and/or thinning hair. Checking for fleas would be the first thing I'd recommend-put your cat on a white surface and go through her fur-if you see little black flecks like pepper it means she has fleas. If she does, check with your vet for flea control - DON'T use over-the-counter stuff. If not, your vet may be able to do some research on veterinary dermatology.
Good luck!

My cats grandmother was a long hair, so her fur is not short. I find it every where. I just say "I take my cat everywhere." She sheds year around and no matter how much I brush her, she is always shedding. It is especially bad during shedding season, but you wouldn't be able to tell when that was. I'd be interested in finding a way to help it. I used to brush her, but she doen't really like it. I'll try to brush her more often. What is the best type of brush to use? Fine-toothed? Flea? Wide-toothed? I'm not sure. I also have one other question. How does fur length differ in the same family? Her mother has really short fur, and hers is pretty long. It is about two inches long. Her mother's fur is probably about half an inch long. I don't get it.

It could be because of the fathers furr. Or it could be a genetic thing. My baby Hobo her mother was a shorthaired taby marmalade, and hobo is a longhaired torie... luck of the dice my friend... luck of the dice


~ Salem